Adjustable sectional form



Sept. 22, 1925.

INVENTOR.

A. J.' DONLEY ADJUSTABLE SECTIONAL FORM Filed March 10.

Mum: J flo/vLEy I ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

UNETED STATES ALFRED J. DONLEY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

ADJUSTABLE SECTICNAL FORM.

Application filed. March 10, 1924. Serial No. 698,200.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ALFRED J. DONLEY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Sectional Forms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an adjustable sectional form for the casting of concrete walls, footings in connection with walls, con crete beams, offset walls, cornices, piers, concrete chimney breasts, concrete chimneys, and the like. As a form for cellar walls, or for side walls above a cellar, or for other walls, it can be used for the casting of walls with square angled corners, and for casting of walls with acute or obtuse angles, such as angles for bay windows.

the single embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing and hereinafter described, I have preferred to set forth a construction of sectional form adapted to the casting of cellar walls. However, it will be understood that the functioning principles of the novel form are the same when used .for piers, cornices, or walls different from cellar walls.

The present sectional form can be used for a single f cc or side wall, or for two sides of a wall, the form providing the means for casting the entire wall including the footings which are wider than the wall proper. That. is to say, two sets of forms in which the features of the invention are incorporated can be utilized to cast the two sides of a wall, a functioning feature of this double set of forms, an inside and an outside set, being that panels and posts can be erected not touching at the bottom where the wall is to be cast. Said panels and posts can be lceptup free any height, say six inches, so that a footing course of concrete can be cast, the footing being adapted to extend under the posts and panels beyond the inner and outer faces of a wall defined by the oppositely disposed panels. This enables the footing to be cast at the same time as the wall proper.

The broad object of the invention is to provide asectional form for the casting of concrete walls and the like which will be an improvement generally over all forms of the same general character heretofore known, and will at the same time be capable of being produced and set up for use, and for re-use at recurring intervals, at expense much less than any sectional form heretofore known and with which I am familiar.

Ainore specific object is to provide a novel and adjustable sectional form which can be easily and quickly adjusted to suit the dimensions of a cellar plan.

A further specific object is to provide an adjustable sectional form of the present- .character which will include concrete-retaining panels and novel concrete-retaining members or angle pieces associated with said panels and adapted to'the purpose of' allowing movement relatively to each other of units of said sectionalform, each unit including a panel or panels, whereby the form a whole is adjustable to be exactly and quickly set to suit the dimensions of a plan, as will become obvious. 1

Another specific object is to provide a novel concrete-retaining member or angle piece adapted to lie contiguous with separate panels of a sectional concrete form andbetween said panels and concrete being. cast to span the space between said separated panels and to touch both panels the entire length of said member or angle piece, and to furnish said concrete-retaining member" or angle piece with a web or webs adapted to extend between said panels, by or adjacent to a post or the hire, or a plurality of posts, against which. the panels are adapted to be secured, away from said concrete being cast, to be securely held against said post or posts by a clamping member, whereby said concrete-retaining member or angle piece can engage the panels at locations spaced variable distances from said web or'webs in order that the panels at the opposite sides of the web or webs can be spaced at variable distances apart, thus rendering the separated panels adjustable toward and from each other, without destroying the efiective ness of the sectional form for its intended purpose. Clearly, each panel may be a unit of the sectional 101111, 01 it may be a part of a unit including a plurality of panels secured together, and by adjusting the various units in the manner briefly stated, the form as a whole is rendered adjustable, within limits, to suit the dimensions of any plan of concrete to be cast.

And yet another specific object is to provide a double set of forms adapted to the purpose of casting both sides of a wall or the like, the terms being constructed to constitute the means for casting the entire wall including footings wider than the wall proper, the whole structure comprising an arrangementwhereby panels and posts can be erected at an elevation above a bottom wall or footing to be cast, so that concrete poured or otherwiseplaced in the space between the two sets of forms can extend under the panels and posts outwardly beyond the confines of the concrete-retaining faces of said panels; that is, the novel double set of sectional forms is adapted to allow the footing to be cast at the same time as is the wall confined between the oppositely disposed panels ot the different sets of forms.

With the above objects in view, as well as others which will become obvious as the specification proceeds, the invention comprises the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as now to be fully described and as hereinafter to be specifically claimed, it being understood that the disclosure herein is merely illustrative of principles of the invention and meantin no way in alimiting sense, changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts being permissible so long as within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part or" this specification.

1 is a sectional view of "fragmentso'l a double set of adjustable sectional forms in which the features of the invention are incorporated, taken as on line 1 -1 in Fig. 2;

' Fig. 2 is a sectional view as on line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View as on line 38 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is an. enlarged perspective view of the novel concrete-retaining member or angle piece, the lower portion of the member or piece being broken away, showing the member or piece as in Fig. :2 in full lines, and each corner member as in Fig. 1 in dotted lines.

Generally speaking, the present adjust able sectional form consists of posts, panels, battens, concrete-retaining members associated with the panels and posts, devices for locating the concrete-retaining members, and girts or string pieces.

With respect to the drawing and the numerals of reference indicated thereon. 10

denotes units of the adjustable sectional form, each unit consisting of panels 11 arranged side by side contiguous with each other, and battens 12 to which the panels are secured in any convenient manner, the battens serving to insure the fixed location of the panels oi. a unit'relativcly to each other. A unit may be a single panel, but preferably it consists of a plurality of panels connected by battens. The faces of the panels opposite the battens are adapted to serve as concrete-retaining surfaces; that is, said faces are adapted to be engaged by concrete being cast.

The posts, the ccncreteretaining members or angle pieces), and their associated parts, and the girts or string pieces are for the purpose oi associating the several panel units with each other to render them capable of serving their intended function, and certain of the concrete-retaining inei eers or angle pieces serve the additional purpose of spanning the spaces between panels of difterent units (1) to eil'ectua'lly fill said spaces, and (2) to allow adjustment of adjacent panel units toward and from each other, whereby a sectional form as a whole is adjustable to suit dimensions of some prticula r plan of concrete to be cast.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing,v l have disclosed an inner and an outer sectional "form. In the case of each form there is shown a corner post 13, an intermediate post 14-, and an ordinary or reinforcing post 15.

Each intermediate post- 14 is situated at a location where panel units terminate adjacent each other. As illustrated, an inter mediate post consists of two tin'ibcrs with. a. board between,the timbers and board being bolted together as by means of the bolts 16. Holes 17 through the posts 14 are fora pur pose to be described.

The corner posts 13 likewise each consist o1 two timbers with board between, and these posts also have holes 17.

The ordinary or reinforcing posts n be of any suitable construction.

As very clearly shown in Fig. 1, the tacos ot the panel units having the battens are adapted to be in firm engagement with adj acent faces of the posts 13, 1-4; and 15, and to this end said post faces are desirably fiat as disclosed. Girts or string pieces 1.8 are adapted to directly inst the face of each post 15 opposite the panel units and to engage plates 19 themselves in eng gement with the faces ot the posts 1 3 and 1 5i: opposite said panel units and preferab cured to said posts 13 and it, mean? uein r utilized at the location of said posts 1.3, 14 and plates 19 for securing the panel ui'iits to the posts 13, 14., and for securing said posts to the girts or string pieces 18. these girts or string pieces, as shown, preterably extending the full distance about the sectional form it being understood that in the case of a rectangular structure of concrete to be cast, each adjustable sectional form is rectangular in plan, the outer 1a in extending completely about the inner form when a double concrete wall is to be cast, the illustration of Fig. 1 merely displaying elements of the whole double set ct sectional forms which are to be merely duplicated'in a whole double set of forms.

Of the means for retaining the panel units to the posts 14, and for clamping said panel units posts 14 and girts 18 .to each other, 20 denotes concrete-retaining members or angle pieces the inner faces of which are adapted to lie between the panel units and concrete to be cast and the outer faces of which are adapted to engage the panel units, each leg 21 of a concrete-retaining member or an le 'iiece 20 en agin a different )anel V unit for its full length. Fig. 4 more clearly discloses the exact construction of these concrete-retaining members or angle pieces. Secured, preferably centrally, to the outer face of each member or piece 20 is a web or webs, denoted 22. these webs being adapted to lie in the holes 17 through the posts 14:, and having perforations 23. Numeral 2% denotes bolts each of which has a threaded end 25 and a double bend 26 opposite the thread adapted to be removably hooked or locked into a perforation 23 of web 22. Each bolt extends through a post 14 and through a plate 19 set on the outer side of the post, as explained, and continues, passing through-a face plate 27, this face plate coming into contact with flanges 28 bent outward from the plate 19 which is itself fastened to the crater side of a post 1 1:. The girts 18 (-71-- tend over the outer faces of the plates 19 and are situated between the flanges 28. while the face plates fit against the outer faces of the girts, as will be best understood from Figs, 2 and 3. In said figures it will be seen that the bolts 24: pass through the plates 19 and 27 at a location spaced from the girts, so that, evidently, the posts 14 and the plates 19, 27 are adjustable along the lengths of the girts. Numeral 29 represents handles each having a thread screwed onto a bolt 24: and adapted to come into contact with a face plate 27, so that each handle when turned inwardly on a bolt (as in clamping the panel units, the posts and the girts to each other), draws the'bolt and concreteretaining' member or angle piece outward, and when turned in opposite direction moves the member or angle piece awayfrom the panel units and post-s.

Without the necessity-for further explanation, it will now be apparent that the posts 14- can be adjusted to any desired positions along the girts 18, and that adjacent panel, units can be fastened against said posts 14 at different distances apart-at different distances away from the webs of the concreteretainlng members or angle p eces, so long as the opposite legs of the niembersor pieces quickly set to suit the dimensions of a particular plan. It is to be remarked that the panel units can be suspended from the posts 13, 14, or 15 in any. ordinary'or preferred manner, suiting the conditions, until the clamping devices have been manipulated to clamp the panel units, posts and girts to each other, all as will be understood. Naturally, the widths of the posts 15 are the same as the widths of the posts 14:, so that clamping the panel units and the girts to the posts 14, also clamps said units and girts to the posts 15. Or where it is desirable, special securing means may be utilized to secure the panels to the posts 15.

-At the corners of the forms the construction for clan'iping the panel units, the posts 13 and the girts 18 to each other is substan tially as already described, except that the concrete-retaining members or angle pieces are of slightly different shape, as may bethe posts 13, the plates 19 and the facing plates 27, and that, usually, at the corners there is no necessity for the provision of means allowing for adjustability of the panels rela tively to each other; can be relatively fixed, the adjustability of the sectional forms being cared for as already described. At the'outercorner the plates 19 and 27 may be duplicates of the plates described, while at the inner corner said plates are of a trifle different construction, it being sullicient to state that all of these plates are of a configuration best suit-- able to properly retain end portions of the girts 18. V

lVhile the angle piece 30 at the inner corner has a right-angle bend with the webs at the center of the angle, the angle piece 31 at the outer corner has a right-angle bend with the webs extending'away from the bend at the center of the angle, and both the inner and outer posts 13 are shaped to provide the desired inner and outer corners of the sectional form, aswill be apparent.

The concrete-retaining members of angle pieces20, 30and 31 are, on their inner or wall side a part of the form or mold in contact with the concrete, the remainder of the form or mold beingthe inner or wall side of the panels. Theangle pieces 20 leave a flattened V-shaped perpendicular crease in the concrete, and since the angle pieces, as

Here the panel units well as the posts, are spaced at regular intervalsabout the form or mold, the crease repeated gives a paneled effect to the wall. At the corners the angle pieces 30 and 31 will ordinarily likewise leave wholly sightly creases in the cast concrete.

The angle pieces and their webs are desirably welded together so that each angle piece is a single unit. The shapes of the angle pieces may be changed to meet the conditions as they may occur in practice. I have preferred to show three different shapes (see Fig. 4).

With more especial reference to Figs. 2 and 3, I have here disclosed one manner in which the posts and panels can be elevated above a footing or the like to be simultaneously cast with a main wall. Numeral 32 denotes a form or mold to receive concrete to provide a footing beneath a wall at the left hand side of the panels of Fig. 3, itbeing understood that the" structure -disclosed would be duplicated beyond and opposite said panels to cast a two-wall con struction. Numeral 88 represents a nailing piece secured to a post 14 as by means of the bolts 3 and 35 indicates a pipe or the like fixed in a bar 36 and removably engaging said post 14.. The opposite end of this bar is secured as at 37 to a peg 88 driven into the material 39 which may or may not he the material of the. form or mold 32. A rest 4:0 beneath the bar 36 and upon the material 89 serves an obvious purpose. Numeral 41 denotes a brace secured to the bar 36 as at 42 and adapted to be secured to the upper portion of a post 14. In Fig. 2, l3 denotes a brace which may also sup port the upper portion of a. post, a post 14; as shown. These braces may be secured directly to the posts, or may be secured to nailing pieces upon-the posts.

A double set of forms, one of which is shown in Fig. 3, are, evidently capable of simultaneously casting a. wall confined between opposite panels of the adjustable form and a footing for said wall.

The sectional form of the present invention can be originally produced and set up for use, and re-set up for use at recurring intervals, at relatively small expense. The adjustable features of the form make it quickly and easily adaptable to suit dimensions, no matter what may have been the tendency of panel units to warp over long periods.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to se cure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a form of the character described, a post, spaced apart panel units, a concreteretaining member adapted to hold said spaced apart panel units to said post, said member consisting of an angle piece having legs, each leg being adapted to engage a different panel unit for its full length, and means for releasably clamping said concrete-retaining member, said panel units, and said post to each other in such manner that the panel units can be adjustable from and towardeach other and with respect to said post.

2. A form ofthe character described, comprising posts, panel units, angle pieces adapted to hold said panel units to said posts, each angle piece having a web extending adjacent a post, and a clamping device detachably secured to each of said webs and adapted to releasably secure said angle pieces, panels, and posts to each other.

3. In a form of the character described, a post, spaced apart panel units, a girt, said girt and panel units being adapted to be clamped to said post, and a concrete-retaining member adapted to hold said panel units and said girt to said post, said member including legs each adapted to engage a different panel unit, and means for releasably clamping said member against said panel units and said girt against said post, whereby said panel units can be adjustably and removably secured to said-post.

1. In a form of the character described, a post, spaced apart panel units, a girt, said girt and panel units being adapted to be clamped to said post, and a concrete-retain,- ing member adapted to hold said panel units and said girt to said post, said member consisting of an angle piece having legs each adapted to engage a different panel unit for its full length, and means for releasably clamping said member against said panel units and said girt against said post, whereby said panel units can be adjustably and removably secured to said post.

5. A form of the character described, comprising posts, panel units, girts, angle pieces adapted to hold said panel units and girts to said posts, each angle piece having a Web extending adjacent a post, and aclamping device detachably secured to each of said webs and adapted to releasably secure said angle pieces, panels, and girts to said posts.

6. The combination as specified in claim 5, wherein there are flanged plates secured to certain of said posts and said girts lie within said flanged plates, certain of said posts being adjustable along the lengths of said girts.

7. In combination witha fixed form for casting a footing beneath main wall, said footing being of greater width than said main wall, a double set of forms of the character described, and means for positioning said double set of forms above said fixed form for casting said footing, whereby said main wall and footing can be simultaneously cast. 7

8. A double set of spaced apart forms each consisting of posts, panel units, and means for releasably and adjustably securing said panel units to said posts, said double set of forms being'adepte'd to the casting of a main Wall, in combination with a fixed form beneath said spaced apart forms and adapted to the casting of a footing of greater Width than said main Wall, and means for positioning said double s above saidfixed' form. J Signed at Bridgeport, in the county ofr Fairfieid, and State-0f Connecticut, this 8th day of March, A. 1)., 1924.

ALFRED J. DONLEY. I

et of forms- 

